Chuck Berry is dead at the age of 90

[underpants]

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/18/obituaries/chuck-berry-musician-dies.html?action=Click&contentCollection=BreakingNews&contentID=65049439&pgtype=article


Chuck Berry, who with his indelible guitar licks, brash self-confidence and memorable songs about cars, girls and wild dance parties did as much as anyone to define rock ’n’ roll’s potential and attitude in its early years, died on Saturday. He was 90.

The St. Charles County Police Department in Missouri confirmed his death on its Facebook page. The department said it responded to a medical emergency at a home and he was declared dead after lifesaving measures were unsuccessful.

[longship]

1. The first space alien civilization we will hear from...

Will be one which salvaged one of the Voyager records.

Their message will decode, quite simply, Please send more Chuck Berry.

[ThoughtCriminal]

8. Best track on the album.

[underpants]

18. Great pic

[Initech]

2. I shall watch Back To The Future in his honor!

[Boomerproud]

3. Anyone who loved/loves Rock N Roll will thank Chuck Berry forever.

Thank you sir and R.I.P.

[dalton99a]

4. R.I.P. to a legend.

[yeoman6987]

5. He lived a long life few get to. RIP.

[AmandaRuth]

6. there will be a lot of talk about chuck berry this and chuck berry that

i'm not reading anything about his personality, but listening to this instead

innovator and creator of RnR

[lostnfound]

7. Taking the news of his passing as a moment to introduce him to my teen.

Go find your home in The Tower of Song.

[CTyankee]

9. what is a guitar lick? Sorry, I just don't know rock and roll...

[kwassa]

10. well, it is different than a riff ....

but, you knew that ....

A riff is thematic. It serves as the main musical idea for a (section of a) song. Often it's repeated and developed, sometimes with variations, sometimes in different keys, but always recognizable as the same main musical idea. Because a riff is a main theme for a song, it often becomes inextricably associated with that song---if you heard the riff out of context (say, someone trying out guitars in Guitar Center), you'd associate it with the song. Think "Kashmir", "Smoke On The Water", or "Smells Like Teen Spirit". If the song is a hit, the riff becomes quotable, and anyone else who plays the riff is making an allusion to the original song.

A lick is musical idea, too, but often it's incomplete. It might be a fragment of a solo or a portion of a riff. By itself, it doesn't usually become thematic---in fact, a lick that forms a theme essentially becomes a riff. A lick combines with other licks to form a complete musical idea. Because a lick isn't the main theme, it doesn't have that same association with the song, and so it's transferable: it can be used in other songs without necessarily having to allude to the original.

http://music.stackexchange.com/questions/6496/what-is-the-difference-between-a-riff-and-a-lick

[CTyankee]

12. OK, his lick on Johnny B. Goode is like a sketch of a intro...I can hear that song in my head...

the lick is a pretty integral part of the song because it is the first chords you hear...

[kwassa]

14. Keith Richards on most Rolling Stones songs.

Most of their hits start with a specific guitar lick from Richards.

Chuck Berry was the first with many licks, and riffs, and was widely copied because of it.

[CTyankee]

15. Boy, I can still hear the opening chords of Johnny B. Goode. Wow...that memory has lasted...

[kwassa]

17. and everyone copied it that played the song.

[smirkymonkey]

11. RIP Chuck. Thanks for the music!

[raccoon]

13. I love his music. nt

[PufPuf23]

16. RIP Chuck Berry

One of the greatest guitar players and entertainers ever.